It's the little things that count. . .

Did you know that little chocolate chip evolved solely for the purpose to go into the chocolate chip cookie? In 1930 Ruth Wakefield,

the owner of the Toll House Inn was frustrated when she didn’t have enough cocoa powder for her cookies. Woman "know-how" took over. She found a semi sweet Nestles chocolate bar, chopped it up finely, and stirred the little pieces into her cookies. Viola! (I doubt she really said this nor knew of the magnitude of her actions, this little seemingly, unimportant act of ingenuity.)The pieces didn’t melt away and the cookies were an immediate hit with everyone. Word spread. Soon after her recipe was printed in the local newspaper. With American ingenuity the Nestles Family invented the chocolate chip. Amazingly, we now consume over six billion chocolate chip cookies, over 30% of all cookies eaten yearly worldwide. I can’t imagine Osama eating one, unless it was laced with Prozac or Valium or other medication to turn him into a peace lover, or as last resort maybe arsenic …. They have a magical calming and warming quality to them. I can't begin to list the favorite ones I’ve eaten over the years, certainly my mom’s and my Aunt Margaret’s in Henderson as a little six year old boy come to mind. I’ve even made my share of them.(my secret is @ tbs of water to help them stay moist) But, the best ones are those made by someone else. Like those found on your door step after a door bell ring. Opening the door to no one standing there, just this lonely, little Christmas plateful of chocolate chip cookies, red-bow or not, begging to be eaten; shared, of course, as someone thought enough to share their love of these magical eats. I’ve never had a bad one, just some really good ones. The uneven shaped ones always evoke home-made goodness and childhood memories! With or without pecans and just a tad dark on the bottom. . . yummy. (Note to health conscience readers - don't waste your time trying to make them "healthy" they won't be the same.) I've eaten many sent to me in the mail from home while in the Army. (usually arriving in little pieces in a brown paper wrapped box) As if holding an escape from the military madness we all lived with, I shared them with only my closest buddies. Gone in sixty seconds. I've eaten them in strangers' homes while on duty, some in not-too clean-looking environments; it would be rude to reject the love they wanted so share. Thanks to all those who make and freely share them. This isn't an earth shattering revelation, but I felt the need to blog . . .